I received a letter from Princeton asking me to seek their unique qualities since my academic achievements suggests I am looking for schools like Princeton. They gave me a unique ID and it was signed by the Dean of Admissions Janet Rapelye. Then at the bottom of the letter is an attached paper with my info filled in that if I’m interested in applying I should send it back to them to receive more information.
Is this legit or are they just looking for applicants to pay the app fee?
You are likely getting this letter because you put in your information and checked a box on the PSAT/SAT/PLAN/ACT or another test. They send out lots and lots of mail to increase application numbers. That said, Princeton is always worth researching.
Looking for applicants
this is a question that can only truthfully be answered by Princeton! I know people who got lots of literature and mailings from elitist school (I use the term elitist for the ivy league,stanford u of chicago etc…) and thought yep they are interested in me for sure. and they applied to many…and got the small envelope in the mail (rejection from all of them) if you want to apply to princeton …absolutely do it but, have a very realistic idea of your statistical chances of being accepted.
p.s. there are many other schools that offer a great education in a supportive environment that are not so jammed full of hyper competitive students…and you will have less stress during the application process and your 4 years of undergrad may be much more enjoyable and no less educational.
may i suggest muhlenberg college,hendrix college ,and lafayette college to name a few. anyway enough of my babble…
but no matter what you choose to do remain humble during the application process.
As said above, you probably checked a box saying you’re willing to hear from colleges. You will get lots of letters and emails like this from all sorts of colleges (some even thanking you for your interest----which might have simply been checking that box). If a school sounds interesting to you (all will appear to be interested IN you, but that’s just marketing), and you have the stats to match, then check it out. If not, just ignore the letters and emails.
Princeton is not desperate for applicants just to pay the fees. They look all over the country for top students, many of whom actually thrive on competition and even stress, although Princeton isn’t necessarily more stressful than some less selective universities. Its 4y graduation rate is 90% (one of the highest in the country.)
If Princeton interests you, then go ahead and ask for more information. Neither the college nor you are making any commitments at this stage. If your stats are good enough even to make their marketing lists, then yes, you likely have many other good options as well.
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the letter was signed by a signature machine and not the dean. There is not a living person at Princeton that has ever heard your name. You’re receiving mail from a marketing company they hired.
And it’s not because they’re hunting for more people to pay app fees, they have enough money. What they do want are tons of applications so they can continue to be ultra selective. Not only does a low acceptance rate help in the college rankings, it draws applicants like a magnet figuring they must be doing something special if everyone else is desperate to get in